Knives or wine glasses

[cjsavino]

Not directly to the OP, but it struck me as funny enough to repeat on this thread.

We’re going to Cape May Point next week with my in-laws (everyone has had a COVID test in the last week, all negative) and my husband is making his packing list. It includes, among many other things:

• a chef’s blow torch
• fish tweezers
• microplaner
• duck fat
• a whole pork shoulder
• bonito flakes
• ring molds

I tried to veto the last one. This is, of course, on top of both our knife roll and a dozen stems.

Enjoy cape May, we were there last month. Love the town, most places have set up outside dining. We broke the rules one night and took a bottle of champagne up to the beach around 6 as a pre dinner warm up.

[Sarah_Kirschbaum]

Not directly to the OP, but it struck me as funny enough to repeat on this thread.

We’re going to Cape May Point next week with my in-laws (everyone has had a COVID test in the last week, all negative) and my husband is making his packing list. It includes, among many other things:

• a chef’s blow torch
• fish tweezers
• microplaner
• duck fat
• a whole pork shoulder
• bonito flakes
• ring molds

I tried to veto the last one. This is, of course, on top of both our knife roll and a dozen stems.

Enjoy cape May, we were there last month. Love the town, most places have set up outside dining. We broke the rules one night and took a bottle of champagne up to the beach around 6 as a pre dinner warm up.

Thanks very much. Unfortunately, a week at Cape May is one of my definitions of hell. I loathe east coast beaches, particularly NJ shore - being a redhead, any beach is hard, but I can rise to the occasion for somewhere beautiful with crystal clear blue water - and usually skip this yearly trip. I came down for a few days the first couple of years we were married, just to be sure NJ was as bad as the MD and DE beaches I remember from my childhood (probably residual misery from those trips effects my feelings about Cape May). It was, to me. Since then, I’ve begged off with work excuses. Now that I’m unemployed, I’m stuck. I’m dreading it.

It will be particularly bad because of covid, I’m sure. The reports I’ve heard from our landlord are that, while restaurants are trying, people are not observing social distancing in town, so we’ve resolved no restaurant visits (not that we usually go much anyway) with my in-laws age to consider. Thus an even larger array of ingredients and kitchen tools coming with us than usual. At least I can bring my bike.

[Br1an_Th0rne]

Was in OBX for two weeks last month, and got a 6-pack of the Grassl tasting glasses shipped there. 5 of them survived, and made the trip back home! Now they are our new outdoor dining glasses.

[Ethan_Abraham]

Currently at rental beach house. Agree with my previous answer. I did bring a knife but slicing tomatoes and zucchini would have been fine with whatever they had. On the other hand, Tupperware (or any takeout container) is worth it’s weight in gold. Good grill tongs too.

[Albert_R]

Was in OBX for two weeks last month, and got a 6-pack of the Grassl tasting glasses shipped there. 5 of them survived, and made the trip back home! Now they are our new outdoor dining glasses.

Same here Brian. The Grassl tasting glass is our perfect outdoor/pool side glassware. They are perfect and Chris provides great customer service.

[RichardFlack]

Really tough to generalize. First off, most rental cottages I’m taking good to very good but not utterly exceptional wines. So my list goes , in priority order , something like

• decanting equipment
• knives
• spices
• glasses

So to answer the OP it’s either “it depends “ or knives.

[T_Williams]

Knives win every time for me. On vacation we aren’t normally drinking anything fancy, so a red solo cup will work.

[Albert_R]

Knives win every time for me. On vacation we aren’t normally drinking anything fancy, so a red solo cup will work.

But the glass could make what your drinking seem fancy.

[John_Flanagan]

Really interestingly replies.

I’m not a cook, so to me knives are utilitarian. Either they cut well or they don’t. Plus, I’ve never known food to taste different depending on the knife used to prepare it. So, pragmatically the availability of different knives are simply a matter of convenience. Don’t get me wrong, I own a nice set of knives for varied uses at home, but whether I have a santoku, paring, tomato, fish, or chef’s knife available on vacation doesn’t really affect my food choices. However, I typically travel with a few (or more) bottles of nice wine on vacation. To me, the glasses really impact my enjoyment of the wines I bring, so I always try to make sure I have nice glasses. With all the discussions about the impact of wine glasses on flavor and experience, I just don’t get why anyone would care about knives.

[Sarah_Kirschbaum]

Really interestingly replies.

I’m not a cook, so to me knives are utilitarian. Either they cut well or they don’t. Plus, I’ve never known food to taste different depending on the knife used to prepare it. So, pragmatically the availability of different knives are simply a matter of convenience. Don’t get me wrong, I own a nice set of knives for varied uses at home, but whether I have a santoku, paring, tomato, fish, or chef’s knife available on vacation doesn’t really affect my food choices. However, I typically travel with a few (or more) bottles of nice wine on vacation. To me, the glasses really impact my enjoyment of the wines I bring, so I always try to make sure I have nice glasses. With all the discussions about the impact of wine glasses on flavor and experience, I just don’t get why anyone would care about knives.

You answered your own question, I think. Why would anyone care about knives? Because the knives in most vacation or apartment rentals don’t cut well. Or at all. They are usually so dull as to be good for nothing but butter. I don’t think anyone who answered “knives” is talking about wanting a variety of types so much as wanting something that cuts decently. If you just want something to cut a sandwich in half, then no, you don’t need to bring knives. But if you plan to cook anything at all in your rental, it’s incredibly frustrating to attempt even the most basic tasks with what’s usually provided.

And just to nitpick a bit, I would argue that food absolutely can taste different depending on the knife used. Maybe not the flavor, but the texture, the balance of a dish and the experience of it in your mouth can be vastly different if you don’t have a tool sufficient to produce good results.

[RichardFlack]

Really interestingly replies.

I’m not a cook, so to me knives are utilitarian. Either they cut well or they don’t. Plus, I’ve never known food to taste different depending on the knife used to prepare it. So, pragmatically the availability of different knives are simply a matter of convenience. Don’t get me wrong, I own a nice set of knives for varied uses at home, but whether I have a santoku, paring, tomato, fish, or chef’s knife available on vacation doesn’t really affect my food choices. However, I typically travel with a few (or more) bottles of nice wine on vacation. To me, the glasses really impact my enjoyment of the wines I bring, so I always try to make sure I have nice glasses. With all the discussions about the impact of wine glasses on flavor and experience, I just don’t get why anyone would care about knives.

You answered your own question, I think. Why would anyone care about knives? Because the knives in most vacation or apartment rentals don’t cut well. Or at all. They are usually so dull as to be good for nothing but butter. I don’t think anyone who answered “knives” is talking about wanting a variety of types so much as wanting something that cuts decently. If you just want something to cut a sandwich in half, then no, you don’t need to bring knives. But if you plan to cook anything at all in your rental, it’s incredibly frustrating to attempt even the most basic tasks with what’s usually provided.

And just to nitpick a bit, I would argue that food absolutely can taste different depending on the knife used. Maybe not the flavor, but the texture, the balance of a dish and the experience of it in your mouth can be vastly different if you don’t have a tool sufficient to produce good results.

It’s not just how the food will taste, (or look) , it’s the ease (or frustration, or danger, even) of preparation. Sliced Tomatoes? Filleted fish? And yes I only take a couple.

[Brian_Gilp]

Really interestingly replies.

I’m not a cook, so to me knives are utilitarian. Either they cut well or they don’t. Plus, I’ve never known food to taste different depending on the knife used to prepare it. So, pragmatically the availability of different knives are simply a matter of convenience. Don’t get me wrong, I own a nice set of knives for varied uses at home, but whether I have a santoku, paring, tomato, fish, or chef’s knife available on vacation doesn’t really affect my food choices. However, I typically travel with a few (or more) bottles of nice wine on vacation. To me, the glasses really impact my enjoyment of the wines I bring, so I always try to make sure I have nice glasses. With all the discussions about the impact of wine glasses on flavor and experience, I just don’t get why anyone would care about knives.

You answered your own question, I think. Why would anyone care about knives? Because the knives in most vacation or apartment rentals don’t cut well. Or at all. They are usually so dull as to be good for nothing but butter. I don’t think anyone who answered “knives” is talking about wanting a variety of types so much as wanting something that cuts decently. If you just want something to cut a sandwich in half, then no, you don’t need to bring knives. But if you plan to cook anything at all in your rental, it’s incredibly frustrating to attempt even the most basic tasks with what’s usually provided.

And just to nitpick a bit, I would argue that food absolutely can taste different depending on the knife used. Maybe not the flavor, but the texture, the balance of a dish and the experience of it in your mouth can be vastly different if you don’t have a tool sufficient to produce good results.

+1. I take four knives, all of which have been retired from my kitchen as I upgraded my knives. Two chefs knives (8 & 9 inch), a bread knife, and a small utility knife. This works fine for a group of 8 that generally cooks every meal. But really, the two chefs knives would be sufficient.

[Marshall_Manning]

And just to nitpick a bit, I would argue that food absolutely can taste different depending on the knife used. Maybe not the flavor, but the texture, the balance of a dish and the experience of it in your mouth can be vastly different if you don’t have a tool sufficient to produce good results.

I hate using serrated knives to cut meat…they tear it instead of slicing it, and it makes the texture different.

[Magnus_Solhjell]

I bring one santoku. And after last year, maybe a spatula as well…

[Chris_Freemott]

The Victorinox Fibrox knives and a USPS flat rate box are a great solution to this. For about $100 you can put a well-above average ‘travel kit’ you can send ahead and send back to avoid any TSA issues. But, knives before glasses…says the glass guy.